Bulkhead for freight cars



June 24 1924- W. J. LAFFEY BULKHEAD FOR FREIGHT CARS Filed Sept. 8, 1922 3mm William J. Laffey.

Patented June 24, 1924.

UNITED TATES PATENT-OF FICE.

WILLIAM J. LAFFEY, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

BULKHEAD FOR FREIGHT CARS. 7

Application filed September 8, 1922. Serial No. 586,945.

To all-whom it may, concern. 7'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. LAFFEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and lengthwise of the car and set up at different points in accordance with the nature of the freight to be held in place.

Another object is to provide bracing means for supporting the bulkhead rigidly in ad justed positio g A further object of the invention is to provide means on the car for holding the bulkhead out of the way when not in use.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective of a part of a freight car with parts broken away to show the different positions'of the bulkheads,

Figure 2 a detail showing the bracingv means, and I Figure 3 shows a modified arrangement of the bulkhead. v

In the drawings reference character 10 in- I dicates the floor of a freight car having sides 11; The'floor of the car is provided with a plurality of transverse rows of'recesses each having a cover 12 with a swinging door 13. Other recesses arranged in transverse rows spaced from those of the first series are provided with slotted covers 14. Bulkheads 15 are adaptedito be stationed transversely of the car and have upright stifieners 16 attached thereto which are bent at their lower ends as indicated at 17. These uprights are adapted to pass at their lower ends through openings in the covers 14 and have a hooked engagement with saidcovers.

Near the upper end of each upright isa bent rod or pin 18 forming a pivot fora brace 19 which at its lower end has ahead 20'spaced from the bod of the brace by a reduced portion 21; corner of each bulkhead an eye 22 is secured thereto bya swivel connection, this eye embracing a) rod 23 extending along the lower t the outer lower corner of the car. A second series of openlngs for engagement by the uprights is indicated at 24 and a second series of openings for engagement by the, lower ends ofthe braces is indicated at 25.

In the operation of the device it will be seen that the doors 13 may be, opened after which the heads of the braces may be disengaged from the covers 12. The braces may then be swung upward on their pivots 18 and this permits the bulkhead to be swung backward to disengage the lower end of the uprights from the slotted covers 14, such movement being permitted by the -:swiveled connection between the bulkhead and theeye 22.- The bulkhead is now connected to the car only by the eye 22 which is-slidable on the rod 23 and therefore it may be moved to the next series of floor openings of which there may be several as will be understood.- Such an additional position of the bulkhead is indicated in dotted lines at I 26. Should the bulkhead not be needed it may be moved to one side against'the side wall of the car, as indicated at Figure 1.- In thus arranging it the braces are swung on their pivots to lie fiat against-the bulkhead between it and the side of the car and project up or down as may be convenient,

the bulkhead being tipped over on one side and a stake 27 being inserted between the bulkhead and the rod 23 to hold the bulkhead in place. This stake is preferably piv'-- otally fastened to the side of the car at 28 to form a holding means for the bulkhead whendesired.

Figure 3 shows a modified construction in which the bulkhead 15 is not movable along the fioorof the car but is supported on ,a removable floor section 29. The upright stifl'e'ners 16' are the same as in the pre-' ferred form andliave a hooked engagement with plates 14" The braces 30 are pivoted to the floor at 31 in recesses underneath the section 29. When the bulkhead is not in use it occupies a collapsed position indicated in dotted linesat 32 in Figure 3. When it is to be used the floor section is lifted, the bulkhead is raised out of the recess and the floor section is returned to its position, the uprights being caused to engage with openings in the plates. 14 during such movement ofv the-floor section. 1 I

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that my device may be modified in varitending bulkhead, a brace pivoted to the,

' adapte substantially as set forth.

ous ways without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated in the appended claims. a

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. -A transversely extending bulkhead for freight cars comprising an upright bodymember," stiffeners attached thereto. and adapted to extend into openings in the floor and braces pivotally secured to the rear side of the bulkheads and engaging openings in the floor, substantially as set forth.

. 2. A freight car having spaced transversely arranged sets of openings in its floor, bulkheads having means-at their lower ends adapted to engage certain of said sets of openings and braces on said bulkheads to engage other sets of said openings, substantially as set forth.

3. A freight car having a transversely exbulkhead, a'rod extending along the lower corner of the freight car, and pivotal connections between said rod and said bulkhead whereby the bulkhead may be caused to lie against'*the side wall of the car with the brace between said bulkhead and said wall,

' 4. A freight car having a transversely extending bulkhead, a rod extending along the lower corner of the freight car, such bulkhead having pivotal connection with said rod whereby the bulkhead may be caused to lie against the ,side wall of the car, and means secured to the side of the freight car for locking the bulkhead in such position, substantially as set forth.

5. A freight car having tain of said plates having slots extending openings in its 9 floor, metall c plates covering the same, certransversely of the car, a transversely extending bulkhead, uprightstiifeners on the bulkhead adapted at their lower ends to engage said slots and braces cdnnected to the bulkheads atone end and engaging the floor at the other, substantially as set forth.

6. In a freight car, a transversely extending bulkhead having means at its lower edge for engaging the floor of the car, a brace pivoted thereto near its upper edge, said freight car having openings in its floor, heads on the braces adapted to project into said openings, and means for engaging over said heads to' hold them in place, substantially as set forth.

7. A freight car having transversely extending bulkheads, braces extending rearwardly therefrom into engagement with the floor, said bulkheads pivotally connected at one corner to the freight car whereby they may be laid flat against the wall of the car and said braces pivotally connected to the bulkheads to lie between the bulkhead and the side of the car, substantially as set forth. w 8. A bulkhead for freight cars comprising an upright body member, stiffeners therefor, means for securing said stiifeners releasably to the floor of the car, and inclined braces extending rearwardly from the bulkhead and releasably secured to the floor of the car, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Memphis, Tennessee, this 7th day. of August, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-two.

WILLIAM J. LAFFEY. [1,. s.] Witnesses:

J OHN W. FARLEY,

F. M. BAILEY. 

